MACARENA DE LA VEGA

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Spanish and English

EARL’S COURT & COVENT GARDEN

¨People are disturbed not by things but by the view of things.¨

Epictetus (Stoic Philosopher)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a proven approach to psychotherapy. It was designed to help people develop effective coping strategies for a wide range of psychological issues and emotional problems.

If you experiencing one of the following symptoms:

feeling depressed

battling with anxiety, panic attacks or a phobia

feeling stressed

experiencing an eating disorder

struggling with drug or alcohol abuse

weighed down by obsessive rituals, compulsive checking or hoarding

having relationship problems but are unsure how to move forward

Dismorphia

These common problems can occur at any stage in a person’s life. For some people they can occur without a clear trigger or reason, while for others they can result from stressful life events or from traumatic experiences. In any case, it is time to consult a Therapist!.

Most emotional problems arise from faulty thinking and the remedy is found in corrective actions. CBT is problem focused and practical, its aim is to help you get better in the long term which is done through changing your unhealthy beliefs to their healthy counterparts. That is the reason why CBT is based on the understanding that by changing how we think about things (our cognitive processes), we can change the way we feel (our emotions), and the way we react (our behaviour). It can help us learn how to overcome negative emotions and behaviours. The intent is to:

Help people clarify their emotions, behaviours and goals.

Identify the unhealthy beliefs that are at the heart of their emotional problems and sabotage their goals.

Dispute them and replace them with their healthier version in order to get better through consistent and constructive action.

Finally, to generalise the change to other areas of life.

The process of change requires repetition, consistency and vigour in the application of the healthy beliefs. This means you will think and act in accordance with your healthy beliefs even though it will be uncomfortable at first. It is completely natural as emotional change takes time and comes last after the change in thinking and behaviour. Understanding does not create emotional change. You will have to apply what you understand.

Because people are inherently complex and their problems are unique, the therapy is tailored to all clients’ individual needs in order to best support them in overcoming the difficulties they are experiencing.

CBT can be conducted together with a range of techniques, such as changing thinking patterns, eliminating negative self-talk, mindfulness and breaking unhelpful behavioural patterns.

What to expect

In therapy we will discuss your problems and how they are currently affecting you. In doing so, offer you techniques to help you to learn a new set of behaviours, and help you to practice this new skill until it has become embedded. You’ll also be given helpful “homework” in the form of practicing your new skills. In the process, you should experience an improvement in your symptoms. The goal of CBT is a relatively rapid improvement and the cessation of therapy within 16 weeks, but each case is unique and the duration may vary from person to person.

Would you like to book a session or simply find out more? Get in touch.

Map

Map

07397 914169

hello@macarenadelavega.com

Earl’s Court21 Collingham PlaceSW5 0QF

Covent Garden22 Long AcreLondon, WC2E 9LY

Disclaimer: As is common in therapy, results may vary from individual to individual and no specific outcome can be promised or guaranteed. Your psychotherapist will however, endeavour to accomplish the objective of your sessions to the best of his ability.